THE SHOPHOUSE is pleased to present the group exhibition Birth of Poetry, featuring works by artists Chen Jinbin, Ted Gahl, Han Mengyun, Joy Li, Shi Zheng, and Zhang Ji. The exhibition explores the origins of poetry and its enduring significance in life, offering a glimpse into its primordial essence. Through a diverse range of mediums including painting, video, sculpture, and installation—the exhibition reveals how poetry emerges from the vastness of the cosmos, the quietude of the everyday, and the struggles of existence.

Birth of Poetry offers a nuanced and multifaceted exploration of the genesis and sustenance of poetry as manifested through the diverse artistic practices of six contemporary artists. The exhibition delves into the myriad ways in which poetry emerges, evolves, and endures across varying contexts and mediums. From Zhang Ji’s expansive inner landscapes to Shi Zheng’s embrace of linguistic randomness, from Joy Li’s embodiment of the quotidian through the corporeal to Ted Gahl’s synesthetic recollections, from Chen Jinbin’s meditation on objectless love to Han Mengyun’s poetic force arising from concealed anguish, each artist contributes a unique lens through which the birth of poetry is articulated. The exhibition posits poetry not merely as a written or spoken form but as an omnipresent force that permeates the fabric of existence.

Opening reception: 22 March 2025 (Saturday) 2 - 6 PM

Gallery address: 4 Second Lane, Tai Hang